There was a dull thud. Uchiha Sasuke fell from the tree again.
Kitazawa gave a slight nod. Even though his body was bruised and swollen, Sasuke didn't utter a word.
To earn the praise of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi, he was giving it everything he had. Unfortunately, after a full class, he still couldn't climb to the top of the tree smoothly.
"Sasuke." Kitazawa called out, "It's about time. Let's continue tomorrow."
"Teacher Kitazawa, you go ahead," Sasuke replied stubbornly.
"Haste makes waste," Kitazawa said, shaking his head. "Proper rest helps you train better."
Sasuke froze for a moment. He didn't fully understand it, but it seemed to make sense.
Recalling the awe he felt from Kitazawa's Great Fireball Technique, he hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing.
"After you get back, remember to find a medical ninja to treat your injuries," Kitazawa reminded.
"Okay. Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Sasuke limped out of the school.
Kitazawa returned to the training ground. Most students had already left, except for Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Hinata.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Naruto ran over, face beaming. "I did it!"
"Did what?" Kitazawa raised a brow.
"Bull's eye!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
"Congratulations," Kitazawa said, then paused. "But don't get cocky. This is only the beginning."
"Yes, sir!" Naruto nodded earnestly.
"See you tomorrow." Kitazawa patted him on the shoulder. "Next time, we'll move on to hitting moving targets."
"I'll do my best!" Naruto, as always, showed no fear. He waved happily and left.
"Hinata." Kitazawa turned to her with a smile. "Nervous?"
"A little." Seeing his gentle smile, Hinata felt her anxiety ease.
"Let's go," Kitazawa said, extending his hand.
Hinata froze for a second, then instinctively reached out and held it. The warmth of his hand made her cheeks flush.
They left the school and arrived at a small forest they had agreed on earlier.
Hinata's heart fluttered—this was the same place where she had encountered the three bullies. The only difference was, last time it was snowing. Today, the sun was out.
"They're not here yet. Let's set up an ambush," Kitazawa suggested after a moment of thought.
Hinata looked up at him, confused.
"I'm a teacher, after all," Kitazawa cleared his throat. "It's my job to educate students, right?"
Hinata blinked, still not quite getting it.
"You really don't get it, do you?" Kitazawa pinched her soft cheek. Her fair skin turned rosy under his touch.
"Hinata, remember this: to overcome fear, you must face it," Kitazawa said firmly.
Hinata bit her lip. Then, a determined glint appeared in her eyes. She looked around again—Kitazawa was gone.
A sudden wave of fear surged in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she turned to see the three boys approaching from a distance.
"She came alone?" Toranosuke looked around, surprised.
"Does she really think she can take all three of us?" said the boy on the left angrily. "She's clearly underestimating us!"
"Hey!" Toranosuke stepped forward and shouted, "What's the meaning of this?"
Hinata froze. Even with Kitazawa's encouragement, a full transformation in just two days wasn't possible. Fear gripped her again. Her mind went blank.
Move, Hinata! she screamed inside, but her limbs refused to respond.
"I'm talking to you!" Toranosuke frowned. "Are you mute?"
Hinata trembled and took a step back. In her heart, she pleaded, Teacher Kitazawa, help me!
"You've successfully angered a lion!" Toranosuke lost patience and reached toward her.
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind roared past. Hinata's hair flew up from the pressure. She instinctively reached up to hold it down. When she looked up, her eyes widened.
The gust had swept the three boys off their feet, slamming each into a tree.
"Ahhh!" Toranosuke howled in pain, his body aching all over. The other two were pale with fear and groaning in pain.
Kitazawa emerged. It was he who had used Wind Style: Great Breakthrough to summon the blast. The power of this C-rank wind technique varied based on chakra input.
In the original story, Orochimaru used it to blow down a small forest.
"Who… who are you?" Toranosuke asked, sweat pouring from his forehead.
"Just a passing ninja," Kitazawa said with a smile. "Three boys ganging up on a girl… your parents must be so proud."
"No, wait… you're a teacher!" The boy on the left sat up and suddenly recognized him. "I've seen you at school!"
"Shameless! You got a teacher to help you?" Toranosuke pointed at Hinata and shouted angrily.
"Toranosuke, shut up," Kitazawa's tone turned cold. "What lion are you talking about now?"
"This isn't fair!" Toranosuke flinched and shrank back.
"Fair?" Kitazawa stepped closer. "That's exactly why I'm here."
Toranosuke instinctively backed away.
"You three against one isn't fair. Hinata asking me for help isn't fair either. So now we're even," Kitazawa said calmly. "One month from now, here—just you and Hinata. One-on-one. A fair match."
As he said, only by facing fear can one overcome it.
One month was enough time for him to help Hinata change. Defeating Toranosuke would mark her true growth.
"Well? Do you agree?" Kitazawa raised his hand, making a fist.
"I agree!" Toranosuke shouted quickly, eyeing the fist like a sledgehammer.
"Where's the scarf you stole?" Kitazawa asked, remembering his task.
"I threw it over there," Toranosuke pointed to the left.
"See you next time," Kitazawa said with a grin after spotting the scarf on the ground.
But to the three boys, his smile looked like a devil's. Terrified, they scrambled away.
Kitazawa wasn't worried about them telling their parents. He had already checked—their parents were just ordinary civilian ninjas.
Besides, the boys had made the first move. As a teacher, it was only right for him to protect his students. Even if it reached Sarutobi Hiruzen, he would still be in the right.
"Hinata, are you okay?" Kitazawa turned to her.
She had stood frozen the entire time. Hearing his voice and seeing his warm smile, Hinata finally moved and hugged him tightly.
Kitazawa blinked in surprise. He could feel her trembling. After all, she was still just a little girl. He gently patted her head.